From His Towel, To His Heart
by meekage
Summary: Haruko has been having a bad time lately all thanks to her stalkers hired by her brother, but when she saw Rukawa again, she finds herself caught up in another awkward situation. :)
1. Chapter 1: The Two Encounters

_Hi!! This is my first ever fan fic that's published here... constructive comments please.. don't be too harsh on me..hahaha! I know I still have a lot to work on.. nonetheless, I do hope you appreciate my work! Thank you!!!  
_

Chapter 1: The Two Encounters

It was a bright, sunny morning at Kanagawa Prefecture, and most people in the neighborhood are preparing for the day. Meanwhile, a girl in ponytail is already outside, doing her jog, not because she needs to be fit, she just feels like doing this routine every time she finds she has nothing to do in the morning, or whenever she gets up earlier than she expected.

She's been going for about half an hour already, and every now and then she takes a rest to catch her breath. She would always make sure she passes by that particular basketball practice court near her house, hoping to find someone using it. Unfortunately, she hasn't been very lucky.

She said in between gasps, "Not again…" bending her arms, "It's been forever since I saw Rukawa-kun practicing here. I'm hopeless."

The girl then reminisced the time she saw him, at the court, alone and practicing real hard. Her heart started pounding again as she pictured his face in her mind.

She shook her head, dismissing the thought. "Darn it, all I did was just stare at him… how could I be so stupid, I didn't even approach him and start a conversation!!" she said, full of regret. "Hmm.. well, it's not my fault his shots were so cool to watch, it's like I want to freeze time whenever he shoots the ball…"

She let out a big sigh and continued her jogging. Her breaths became deeper as she trudged an uphill street. But not far away was someone fast approaching, in the opposite direction and she wasn't able to see the person until the person came to the horizon of her view. Upon seeing the figure, she easily recognized him and her heart skipped a beat. She wanted to stop but her body didn't respond. Instead, she ended up bumping on him which made her fall on her back. On the other hand, the guy didn't notice her at first, and it took him about a second before he could respond to what happened. He helped her get up. The girl turned red in embarrassment.

"Rukawa-kun! It's you!" she said nervously, "I see… you're not on your bicycle today."

"It's broken," Rukawa replied, his face very indifferent.

"So you're gonna practice there?" she asked, her head turning to the basketball court nearby.

"Yeah."

"Okay," she beamed. "Do your best, Rukawa-kun! For the Inter-High Games!" raising her arms in excitement. Rukawa simply nodded.

There was a slight moment of silence. Then Rukawa gestured, telling the cheerful girl he should be going already. She simply smiled and waved him goodbye. As she turned to go her own way, Rukawa called her.

"Hey."

She looked back.

"See you around… Akagi." Rukawa awkwardly said, then gone to practice.

Haruko froze, her brain trying to process what he just said. But as everything started to sink in, she let out a giggle. Before she even got over it, something lying on the ground caught her eye. It was a towel that belonged to Rukawa. She immediately picked it up and removed the dust it caught.

"Should I give this to him now? I guess I should just give this to him tomorrow at school, I'm sure he doesn't want anyone bothering him right now…"

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"I lost it again."

Kaede Rukawa is at the basketball court, doing his daily practice. It's been two days after the regional games and now he's warming himself up for the national competition. The road will be tougher from now on, he thought. He made a couple of jump and lay-up shots. Afterwards, he decided to call it a day, finishing his practice with a magnificent dunk. With his towel gone, again, he wiped his face with his shirt.

He sat on a bench nearby, contemplating. At last, he'll be able to play on the nationals, though he didn't expect to participate in it this early. He remembered Akagi and Kogure who even waited until their senior year the ticket to their dreams. He felt very confident about the Shohoku team, since they also have Mitsui and Miyagi with them. Irritation came to him when Sakuragi crossed his mind.

It was almost noon. And he is tired. Maybe some more sleep will do the trick.

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The next day, the students are starting to arrive at Shohoku High School as classes are about to start. Haruko ran as fast as she could to make it in time for her first class.

"I made it," Haruko said, her hands gripping the door. "That was close."

Her friends looked at her. "You're almost late, Haruko."

"Yeah I know, I just forgot something," she replied.

"Forgot what?"

"Oh, it's nothing… nothing at all!" she told them, explaining things to them would be even more troublesome, and besides, she didn't feel like telling them her "Rukawa Encounter" at this minute.

Haruko had a hard time concentrating, her mind was pre-occupied with thoughts of Rukawa, and she already began composing what she would say when she approaches him. Lunch break came and she thought this will be her chance to look for Rukawa. But to her disappointment, he was nowhere to be found.

_"I guess I just have to give this to him later, I'm sure he'll be at the gym this afternoon."_

Time passed by swiftly. Haruko's friends went home ahead of her and she told them she had to excuse herself because she still had to return Rukawa's towel.

When she arrived at the gym, it was really quiet. There she remembered, "Shoot! I forgot there's no practice for the team today!!! Kyaaaaaahh!!"

Just as she was about to go home, someone turned on the lights of the gymnasium. Curious, she went back to see who's in there. Maybe one of big brother's team mates, she thought.

She walked slowly towards the gym's entrance, trying hard not to make any noise. Before she reached the doors, she could hear the bounce of a basketball, echoing throughout the place.

_Someone's practicing at this time, eh?_

The moment the basketball court came into view, her jaw dropped when she saw a man make a jump shot that seemed so surreal.

"That was just awesome!" she said to herself.

The man heard her and looked at her direction.


	2. Chapter 2: On The Way

_here is the second chapter... hehehe.. hope you like it.. :)_

**CHAPTER 2: ON THE WAY**

"You're gori's… I mean Akagi's sister, right?" the man called.

"Yes, I am!" Haruko answered. "Umm, senpai, what are you doing here, it's getting late!!" she said, noticing the sun has already set behind her.

"Isn't it obvious?" he sarcastically replied, "Do you think I'm just sitting around here?! Of course I'm practicing my skills!"

"Well, sorry to bother you, I guess I should get–"

"Wait! I'll walk you home. It's dangerous for someone like you to be outside at this time."

Haruko declined, "But senpai, I think I can manage–"

"No but's!" he snapped.

She fell silent. She watched him arrange his bags. This was the first time she ever talked to him, but somehow, she felt secured with him, despite his reputation of being involved in many fights. She observed his movements carefully. The man noticed her eyes on him, making him feel a bit uncomfortable, but he didn't complain. Instead he arranged his stuff more quickly so as to escape the girl's meticulous gaze.

"Let's go," he said. Haruko followed him.

It was already night time, and the city lights are starting to liven up the town. They passed by some restaurants and interesting places, but none of them seem to bother talking. A couple more minutes and the silence became overwhelming. Finally, Haruko decided to break the ice.

"Ummm… senpai.."

"Hmm?"

"How was it, playing with Shohoku, after all that you've been through..?"

"I feel alive again, basketball is my only passion," he said, his face looking like there are so many things flashing through his mind. Meanwhile, Haruko listened to him intently, not wanting to miss a single detail of his story. He told her all about his dreams in basketball and how glad he is to be with Shohoku.

They were only a couple of blocks away from Haruko's house when they saw a stall selling okonomiyaki.

"Hey, wanna buy some?" he suggested.

"Oh it's okay, I'm not hungry, I'll just wait for you to finish ordering," she replied.

He rolled his eyes. "Okay then."

He ordered some food while she waited for him. When he turned to her, he was holding two orders of the food.

"Senpai, I told you I'm not hungry!!"

"Oh come on, have some of this, it's really good," he said, handing her the plastic bag with okonomiyaki. She refused to take it.

"You could just take that home with you," she told him.

He stared at her for a while, pleading. His arm was still on that position, waiting for Haruko to accept the offer.

"All right," she finally said, snatching the plastic bag.

"Trust me, it tastes great."

"Okay," she mumbled.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure on her right, standing behind a tree. But she was busy arguing with him, so she ignored the figure at first, but she felt like she was being watched; she turned to her right to confirm who it was. But there was no one in sight.

"What are you looking at?" the man asked.

"No…nothing," Haruko replied, still looking at the tree. She was sure someone was there a while ago. She looked forward and saw him already walking and she quickly paced up with him.

The two seemed to enjoy each others company and they didn't notice the time passing by as well as how far they have walked already. Before they knew it, they were already in front of the house's gate. As Haruko was about to open it, Takenori came out.

"Haruko! Where have you been? I was about to go and look for you!!"

"Nii-san, I just came from school, I was supposed to–"

"And you!!!" Takenori interrupted, looking at the guy, what were you doing with my sister Mitsui???!"

He answered, trying not to sound defensive, "I just walked her home!! You should be thanking me for this," then he murmured, "stupid gorilla…"

Akagi hit him. "I heard that, idiot!" Mitsui flinched.

Takenori turned to Haruko. "Get inside. Now."

Haruko faced Mitsui. "Thank you and I'm also sorry you got hit because of me," she said, then bowed to apologize.

"You don't have to do that!!!" Mitsui said, slightly surprised. "I'm already used to being hit by a monkey anyway," he told her, almost whispering. Takenori grumbled.

"Good night," she said, facing Mitsui again. Haruko smiled at him before entering the house. He simply smirked.

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The moon shone brightly over the Akagi Home, and the siblings are still awake, doing school work. Haruko was never really that good in Mathematics, so she knocked on her brother's room to ask for assistance. She already managed to solve some of the problems, but there were a lot of tricky equations and she thought she cannot squeeze her brain any further. She must ask her brother, the last resort, for help.

"I'm lucky to have an intelligent brother," she told herself, and knocked at the door.

"Nii-san… please help me with my homework…" she called out.

Takenori opened the door. "What's the problem about?" he asked, already anticipating that his sister is asking his help in Math.

"Implicit Differentiation."

He made way for her and she entered her brother's room. Her brother is so organized, without any speck of disarray in his place. Not a single dust can be seen either. His room looked more like a soldier's room rather than an athlete's.

Haruko gave the paper to him. "Please help me, nii-san…"

Takenori stared at the paper. Instantly, he began computing it, making simple hand gestures as if he was writing the solution on air. Haruko observed him, marveling how smart her brother is. After a few minutes, her math dilemma is solved at last.

"Nii-san… thank you so much! I owe you one!" she exclaimed.

"You always owe me your math problems," he replied.

She twitched her face then burst into laughter. "I perfectly know that."

"Whatever. Now, go to bed, you need some sleep."

Haruko happily headed to her room, chanting the words "Thank you, nii-san" as she do so. Takenori snickered.

She jumped her way to bed, giving out a loud sigh of relief. Another day has passed. However, for some reason, Haruko found it difficult to get to slumber. After tossing and turning, she gave up on it and sat on her bed instead. On her study table was the plastic bag of okonomiyaki. She went over her table and ate some of it.

"Hahaha. He was right."


	3. Chapter 3: Waiting

_Yay! Haayy... finally... hehehe.. I made a lot of revisions here... :)_

**Chapter 3: Waiting**

_I love that person more than anything else. As I panted to their classroom, every footstep made my heart beat faster. Will I take this opportunity to tell him? I'm totally undecided._

_It took a shorter time than I thought. Behold, I'm at the door, knowing at the other side, I will see him, then I will forget everything else. It's already night time, for sure, he'll be alone now. _

_And I was right. He was there, sleeping soundly at his desk, his bag by his side. Slowly, I approached the heaven in front of me. It was already evening, the classroom's lights were off, but I can see him clearly because of the moonlight through the windows. I stopped for a moment. I looked at his face, I felt like going further would ruin this canvas of surreal beauty._

_But I have to do this. It's now or never. There's no way I'm gonna pass this chance. I staggered to and fro the room. What if he gets mad at me for disturbing him? I'm doomed for sure. But I've made up my mind. No matter what happens, he should know this. That all I have in mind is…_

"RUKAWA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The whole class turned to a desk at the far end of the room, beside the window, where Kaede Rukawa sat, sleeping.

"Damn it, does that kid know anything else aside from snoring in my class???!!" the teacher grumbled.

"Sir he does that every class," a student told him.

"Tsk. Whatever," the teacher said, obviously annoyed. "Let's just proceed with the lesson…"

The students did their best to listen to the teacher. Unfortunately, it was just early afternoon, and in addition to that, the teacher's subject was History. The perfect "sleeping pill". The teacher noticed as he goes on with his discussions, more students started to yawn. While most of the students seemed to be a bit pissed with Rukawa, who just sleeps and manages to get away with it, secretly, they envy him because he can sleep whenever he wanted.

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"Haruko-chan!!" Sakuragi greeted Haruko, when he saw her at the gym entrance.

"Umm… Sakuragi-kun, is Rukawa-kun there? I have to give him something…"

"Oh, he's not here… he probably quit the basketball team because he knows I'm too strong for him. HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!" he bragged.

Haruko forced a laugh. "Well, Sakuragi-kun, it's really important… and it's already getting late… and by the way, aren't you allowed to use the gym until 6pm only??! It's almost 7!!"

The Shohoku basketball team, in preparation for the Inter-High Games, is training even harder. Akagi managed to get the principal's permission to use the gym on a longer period. The faculty has now extended their full support for their team, since ranking 2nd in the regional games. Kogure, is supervising the other freshmen, while Capt. Akagi is practicing with the higher-ups, Miyagi, Mitsui and the rest. The team is concentrating on tightening their defense and improving their rebounding skills.

"Haruko-chan," Sakuragi said, patting Haruko, "we're practicing harder now. Why don't you just watch the genius do his thing? Come, I'll show you my magnificent slam–"

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY SISTER!!!!" Akagi roared, popping out of nowhere, with his fists landing hard on Sakuragi's head. Sakuragi cringed in pain.

"You're looking for Rukawa?" Akagi asked.

Haruko nodded. "Well… brother… I have to give him something…"

Akagi's eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me… you…"

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!!" she screeched, her cheeks blushing as hard as ever. Akagi looked at her with disbelief. Sakuragi seemed anxious. Ayako, hearing the conversation, went over and told them, "Rukawa was excused from training today."

"Huh? Why?" Haruko asked.

"Well, you see, Rukawa was required to attend a Math tutorial class since his grades aren't doing good, so right now, he's still at the freshmen building, attending the tutorial. Actually, there's SOMEONE else who's SUPPOSED to be there as well…" Ayako firmly said, fixing her eyes on Hanamichi.

"I don't need a STUPID math tutorial!!!" Sakuragi said in defense.

"Well then, get back to work and practice!" Akagi bellowed, kicking Sakuragi towards the freshmen who were with Kogure. Sakuragi's eyes flickered in irritation.

"Where is the tutorial class being held?" Haruko asked Ayako. "Can I still make it there??"

"It's at the freshmen building, second floor." Ayako answered, "Anyway, what's with the rush?"

Haruko dashed off. Akagi merely sighed at his sister's behavior. Ayako giggled.

"Senpai, your sister's in love," she teased, rubbing her elbow at Akagi's arm.

"Tsk. Whatever."

----------------------------------------------------

Many thoughts crossed Haruko's mind as she panted to the classroom where Rukawa is. Every footstep made her heart beat faster. Will she take this opportunity to tell him her feelings? She is totally undecided.

It took a shorter time than she thought. Before she knew it, she spotted a room at the second floor which has its lights turned on. This must be it, she thought. She stood in front of the door, composing herself. She slid the door a little bit to peep inside. To her dismay, she saw no one. She further slid the door and confirmed that there really was nobody there.

"Maybe I was too late," she gasped.

Haruko walked aimlessly around the room, staring at the desks, lockers and windows. She never felt this unlucky in her life. Is fate trying to take her away from Rukawa?? Maybe she should just forget "The-Return-The-Towel-To-Rukawa" Scheme. As she was about to give up, she spotted a bag on one of the desks in front. She immediately checked the bag looking for the name of the owner.

"What is this person doing??! Leaving a bag behind like this…"

Before she even finished her sentence, her eyes bulged upon seeing the name on one of the notebooks. "It's Rukawa's!!!!!" she said, triumphant. "I wonder what his penmanship looks like…"

She flipped the pages but to her dismay, "As expected… hahaha… no notes at all…"

She handled Rukawa's things with utter care, as if everything in his bag is fragile. She sat on his desk, her hand caressing the table, the chair. "This is where he sat…" she gasped. It was a quiet and only the rustling of the leaves outside can be heard.

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On the other hand, Rukawa dropped by at the basketball court to see the team practicing. Ayako approached him instantly.

"What are you doing here?! You're supposed to be at tutorial!!"

"It's boring," he said.

"Yeah!!! Go back to tutorial, you moron!!!!!!" Sakuragi roared. Rukawa flashed with anger.

"You're in no position to say that Sakuragi," Mitsui said, pinching Sakuragi's ear, "Mind your own business!!!!!" Mitsui dragged Sakuragi towards the others who were practicing jump shots.

"Ouch!! Okay, Micchy!!!!"

"Stop calling me 'Micchy'!!!!!"

"Oh yeah, have you seen Haruko? She was looking for you earlier," Ayako told Rukawa.

Mitsui joined them. "The captain's sister?" he asked, curious.

"Yeah," Ayako replied. "Have you seen her?" she asked Rukawa again.

"No," Rukawa answered.

"Well then, look for her!!!" Mitsui said angrily, "She might be tired out of her wits looking for you by now!!!!"

Ayako's eyes widened in surprise. "Hey, no need to be so hot-headed, Mitsui."

"She may have encountered some gangsters for all we know…"

"You're obviously exaggerating, Mitsui," Ayako said, almost laughing.

Mitsui pushed Rukawa to the exit. "Now go back to your tutorial and look for her… geez," he said, his anger still there.

Ayako stared at Mitsui. "What are you so worried about? It's not like she'll be abducted by aliens or something…"

Rukawa, not having a single clue, shoved Mitsui. Mistui glared at him. "What do you want?!" Rukawa said, in a monotonous yet, furious tone.

"Look for her. That's what I want."

Rukawa ignored him. "I'm going back now, I left my bag in the classroom…" he said, looking at Ayako.

She was flabbergasted. "You left your bag??! Rukawa, you really are careless."

Rukawa looked at Mitsui grimly. Mitsui eyes didn't look away. Then the super rookie left them, without further saying a word. Ayako merely watched him from afar. "What's with you two," she said, her eyes still gazing outside.

"Nothing," Mitsui absent-mindedly replied.

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Kaede Rukawa walked faster than usual. He felt like he was hurrying, even though he felt he wasn't supposed to do so. Ayako was right. He IS careless. Maybe he was worried about his bag, that's why he was in a hurry. Or is it because of something else?

Going back to the freshmen building, all lights were off, except for one particular room at the second floor. Rukawa quickly paced towards the classroom, seeing the door open, he entered the classroom and he suddenly paused when he saw Haruko, sleeping soundly at his desk. His bag became her pillow. Haruko hugged it very tightly.

Rukawa sat on the desk beside Haruko. He watched her sleep, and for the first time, his mind went completely blank. Many people may not know about it, but he was always about worried about basketball, but now, all those went away. He then decided to turn off the lights, then wake Haruko up. He reached for the switch and turned off the lights. When his gaze turned to her, for some reason, he couldn't wake her up. The moon shimmered through the room, and he can't help but marvel to the moon's light. Instead, he just sat beside her and stared at her even more. Carefully, he tried snatching his bag away from her grasp, but then Haruko moved and he automatically withdrew his hand. Maybe he should just wait for her to wake up. Rukawa examined her features, and before he knew it, his face was already drawing closer to hers.


	4. Chapter 4: Injured

_Waaaaaa... I'm so sorry if it took so long for me to update... it's just that I write whenever inspiration strikes me.. and I haven't been able to log in for a while because I got too busy with many things... hope you understand... anyway, here is the 4th chapter of my first-ever fanfic... :) _

**Chapter 4: Injured**

_I slowly opened my eyes. It happened so fast, all of a sudden, I saw 2 eyes directly fixed on me. Shock took over when I figured out Rukawa-kun's face was just inches, no, centimeters from mine!! I let out a screech and fell from my chair. It was so embarrassing and I can really tell his eyes aren't looking away at all._

"You surprised me, Rukawa-kun!!"

_He didn't respond._

_I tried to stand. _"I'm sorry if I was – ouch!!"

_There was a stabbing pain on my left ankle and I couldn't get up. I tried again but the pain won't let me get on my feet. Then, without warning, he reached for my arms and legs, and carried me like a baby. I yelped in surprise. He let me sat on the table, and turned around. _

"Climb on my back," he finally said.

_I passively did so. I embraced his broad shoulders, while he grabbed a hold of my legs again, which made me feel a rush in my veins. But it felt good. I volunteered to carry his bag for him, well, since he was already carrying me._

_I felt very uncomfortable, in a different way from what I felt when Hisashi-senpai walked me home. Senpai was a bit warm… but Rukawa-kun's a bit… cold…_

"Rukawa-kun…"

_He didn't respond again, but I was certain he was listening._

"Why didn't you just wake me up…? It should've been less troublesome…"

"I don't want to disturb anybody's sleep, just as I want no one to disturb mine," he plainly replied.

"Um… oh yeah. Why… was your face… too close… to me… earlier…??" I asked, carefully saying the words, so as not to cause any misinterpretation.

"I was……"

_I waited for his answer._

"…observing you."

_I didn't know what to say, so I didn't bother to ask any further._

_He kept walking forward, his pace unchanging. It wasn't long when we passed by that Takoyaki stall where senpai and I bought food. Just then, Rukawa started a conversation, which to me appeared to be not like him. I always thought of him as a silent and very introverted person._

"I saw you."

"Eh?" _I was clueless. _"With what?"

"With Mitsui."

_He just looked ahead, and I didn't see his face when he said it. _"Oh that. Senpai just asked me to try those takoyaki," _managing to keep my cool,_ "It just so happened that it was already late when he saw me and decided to take me home."

_So he was the guy who was behind the tree at that time. It was Rukawa-kun who was watching me…_

"You two going out?" _he asked, as if he didn't hear my explanation._

"No!!" _I shrieked,_ "There's nothing between us," _I finally exploded._

_Rukawa-kun didn't bother anymore, he just sighed. Darn it, why does he have to be such a HUGE mystery to me…?!!?_

_I chose to remain silent throughout the rest of the trip. And I guess he also did the same thing. From then on, he didn't mention anything nor made any unusual comments._

_Minutes after, he stopped. I looked up; I already almost slept while I rested my head on his back. We're already in front of my house's gate. Gently, he put me down, his arm supported my waist. I only managed to stand on my foot and hopped to the gate. I opened it._

"Sorry."

_I glared at him._ "For what?"

"For that," _he looked at my injured ankle._

"Don't blame yourself," _I assured him_, "It's my fault for being so clumsy… Hahahahahaha!! Besides, this is just probably a minor sprain… it'll heal in a couple of days."

_He scratched his head_. "Okay then."

_He assisted me through the gate._

"It's okay now, Rukawa-kun… and here," _I grabbed the folded towel in my pocket,_ "This is yours."

_But he didn't listen. He still held my waist, this time, tighter._

"Rukawa-kun, I can manage myself," _I told him, while handing out his towel._

_He gradually loosened his grip on me. He took his towel from my hand and watched me hop my way to the door. I went in and I glimpsed at him before I close it; he was still there, looking through the gate. The truth is, I still don't want to enter the house, but, I don't want to burden him any longer… this is how it should be… in my heart I truly prayed this will happen again and I will find the courage to say those words to him._

"So that's how you ended up having that bandage on your foot??"

"Yeah," Haruko replied, "But it was worth it," she winked.

She and Matsui were at a coffee shop that morning, chit-chatting. Fujii was supposed to be there as well, but she had some other things to attend to. So, it was just her and Matsui, taking their time at the café, since it was a weekend. It was already their habit to go out during weekends and chill.

Her friend giggled, "That was quite romantic, Haruko… how I wish I can have that encounter with Shin-kun as well…"

"Matsui," Haruko said, "I'm sure he likes you too…"

Matsui blushed, and changed the subject, "What did your brother say?"

Haruko sipped some coffee. "Umm… he was kinda mad."

"Mad? Why?"

"Well of course, first because I went home late that night, and because I got a sprain," she bent her left ankle a bit, the slight pain still there, but she felt much better.

"I see…" Matsui said, "Does he know that Kaede-kun literally carried you home??"

"Nah, I didn't tell him, I just said, I took a cab home, because doing so would make him suspicious of me… he's quite overprotective of me…"

"As expected from a very strict captain of the basketball team," Matsui concluded.

"You can say that again," Haruko remarked.

The two finished their coffee and took off. They wandered in the district, shopping for some clothes, hanged out at some benches nearby. However, Matsui needed to leave, and so Haruko began to walk through the streets all by herself. She thought maybe she should go to that basketball court again, maybe she could find that person she wanted to talk to.

And fate was on her side now. Even when she was still quite far from the place she could already tell. It was Rukawa. Good thing she pursued her intuition and checked out the court. When she got there, she saw him, arranging his things. It seemed like he was already finished. Haruko waited for him at the exit. When he got there, he stared at her, a bit surprised yet looked eager to see her standing in front of him.

"What are you doing here," he said indifferently. He started walking away from her, but Haruko followed and walked beside him.

"Nothing, just passing by…"

"Tsk."

"Would you mind if I treat you to some tea?"

Rukawa stopped. He looked at her, pissed. "What is it that you want from me? Stop acting like we're close friends or something."

Haruko was furious, but she couldn't get mad. Instead, tears began to suddenly flow. "I just wanted to say 'thank you'!!! What's so bad about that!!!?" she continued crying, "I know I may sound and look annoying, but all I want is just to talk to you and treat you some time…."

Haruko sobbed, she looked down to the ground and saw some drops of tears. It doesn't matter how ridiculous she looked to him. But she got hurt.

"All right," Rukawa muttered.

Haruko wiped her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I'll come with you."

Haruko couldn't believe what she just heard. This is really happening, she thought.

Haruko silently walked, while Rukawa followed her from behind. She wiped her eyes again, feeling a bit guilty because of what she said, but she shouldn't be, she thought. He said mean words to her, anybody will be mad if someone tell that to them. The image of Rukawa's cold face flashed in her head, and she closed her eyes for a second, attempting to shrug away the thought.

Kaede Rukawa walked behind her, still thinking if it was right to go with her, he should have been in his house sleeping by now…

Haruko entered an empty alley and he was just behind her, not having an idea how far they have already gone. Just then, someone called him.

"KAEDE!!!!"

Rukawa looked behind him, and there were four gangsters, some of them holding a piece of metal, perfect for beating somebody. On the other end of the alley, there were other guys, all looking very hungry for a fist fight.

"We got you cornered freshman," the same guy said.

Haruko looked so scared by just merely looking at these men. She was worried about Rukawa, and now she really felt guilty for dragging him here. She took a step behind her. And another, but all there is was a huge wall, and they couldn't climb on it to escape. She felt horrified, but Rukawa remained calm.

"Don't even try to run away Kaede," a guy behind the men appeared. He looked really tough and mean.

He's probably the ringleader, Haruko thought.

Rukawa gritted his teeth. "What do you bastards came here for?"

"To settle the score of course," the leader arrogantly replied.

"And you even brought us a bonus prize!!!!" another man exclaimed, looking at Haruko lustfully. Haruko was terrified. Rukawa grabbed her hand.

"Don't you lay a finger on her," Rukawa warned them.

"Protecting his girlfriend, eh?" the man jeered. "That is so not you, Kaede. You only think about yourself and that stupid basketball!!! And besides you–"

Rukawa kicked him hard on the abdomen, and the man fell to the ground, crying in pain. The others were agitated.

"You sure have guts to do that on a senior!!"

"You better learn your lesson freshman!!!"

The men attacked Rukawa. He dodged some punches, but a bat hit his head and he knelt in pain. Haruko leaned against the wall, shaking in panic. She saw some blood gushing out of his head, and his face became covered with blood. She felt mortified. She shouldn't have followed her intuition after all. She should just stay away from him. She cried miserably. She cried but she could only watch. One of the men grabbed her arm.

"Missy, you're coming with me."

"Wh-what is this??! Please let go of me!!!" Haruko cried. She tried resisting but the man was too strong for her.

Rukawa who saw Haruko being harassed by the guy, grew angrier. He ignored the punches and the kicks. He stood up and hit them back. Some of them already lost consciousness from Rukawa's strong fists.

"How can…" the leader said, "this guy still stand??!"

They refrained from beating him. Rukawa paced towards the guy grabbing Haruko.

"You're not going anywhere!!"

They threw a rock at him and he instantly fell on his chest. They caught up with him and began throwing away more kicks. The leader, well-pleased, laughed hysterically as he beat up Kaede Rukawa. However Kaede's thoughts at that time was only concentrated on that one thing he had to protect. His face was looking for her, and there she was, being pulled away and he saw the sleeve of her blouse already torn. With blood on his face, his vision was starting to get blurry.


	5. Chapter 5: Fault

_Waaa... After how many weeks... hehehe... finally, another update for my fic.. sorry it took me so long to finish it!! :) Anyway here it is, reviews/concrit will be highly appreciated... ^^,_

**Chapter 5: Fault**

Haruko could not do anything but stare from afar. With her hands locked on the man's grip, she couldn't even resist from the tight hold he has on her.

"Just enjoy the show, missy."

"HOW COULD I ENJOY THIS??!! Just please spare him and let us go!!!" Haruko shrieked, her tears running down across her cheeks. She attempted to free herself again, but the man slapped her.

"Shut up and stop moving!!" he bellowed.

Haruko stared at him with sobbing eyes, hoping to find some mercy from her captor. But it was futile. As she hears them beat up Rukawa, she just closed her eyes, not wanting to watch the painful sight.

"You can take me with you, just please let Rukawa-kun go… this is my entire fault," she begged. The man didn't pay attention to her, he was wishing he could join his comrades enjoy the taste of revenge on the Shohoku's ace player.

Haruko needed a miracle. If someone just passed by this alley, they could ask for help, if only someone…

"Haruko-san!!!"

She looked up, and her face became filled with hope when she saw Yohei with other of Hanamichi's friends .

"Guys! Help Rukawa-kun! Please!!!"

Yohei was shocked to see Rukawa, lying on the ground. He couldn't even tell whether or not he's still conscious. He looked at the men. There were still seven of them standing, excluding those that Rukawa had taken down.

"This is going to be exciting," they whispered.

_To think that Rukawa who can beat about 5 guys to a pulp and has great endurance would end like this, I say these bastards are pretty strong. We might have a better chance if Sakuragi's with us, however…_

"Let them go," Yohei politely requested. "Especially her," he further emphasized, glancing at Haruko.

"AND WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!" the men said.

"Mito Yohei, freshman."

"Oh, you're that punk who was with the redhead!!" one of them remarked.

"That's right," he coolly replied.

"And don't forget us," said the blonde guy beside Yohei. "name's Okusu Yuji !!!"

"And I'm the great, Takamiya Nozomi !!" the fat guy snickered.

"Noma Chuichiro," the mustached guy said, combing his hair with his hand.

"You stupid freshmen sure are asking for it," the leader spoke, "we'll beat the crap out of you!!" They clenched their fists, all set for another fight.

"We'll see about that," Yohei exclaimed.

"Let's have some fun!!"

The three of them charged on the group, and a gang fight began. Noma helped Haruko break free. Haruko's eyes searched for Rukawa. There he was, lying still on the ground. She rushed towards him and wrapped her arms on his shoulders.

"Rukawa-kun!! Are you still okay? I'm so sorry!!"

There was no response.

"Rukawa-kun… please… say something!"

"I think you have to get him to a hospital. He's badly hurt," Noma told her, "We'll take care of these guys. Hurry!" he dashed to where Yohei and the other men are fighting. On the other hand, Haruko helped Rukawa get up, but he was too heavy for her.

"Rukawa-kun… I'm begging you…"

Rukawa held her hand tightly. She looked at him.

"Leave me alone…" he said faintly.

Haruko ignored him, "Like I'm leaving you here! Come on, let's go to the hospital."

"I mean it. Leave me alone."

Haruko felt frustrated. "Why are you so stubborn??!" Rukawa shoved Haruko's arm. She started to cry, "Why can't I care for you??! I know I'm an eyesore to you but please, just this once, can I at least get you to the hospital??"

He locked his eyes on her. Haruko saw cold eyes piercing through her. But she doesn't want to let him be. Never. After all, it was due to her persistence that this thing happened in the first place. She was already guilty of driving Rukawa into this gang fight, and she doesn't want to be consumed by another blunder. Before she even noticed it, Yohei and the others were there behind them. The fight was over. Some of the seniors ran away while others were lying on the ground, badly beaten.

"That was a bit tough," Yohei remarked, brushing off some dust on his uniform with his hands, "Glad it's over."

"It sure was fun!" the blonde fellow commented. The four of them got totally bruised in the face, and their clothes are crying for the laundry. But still, they managed to laugh it off as if nothing happened. Yohei, together with Sakuragi and his friends are really used into this kind of stuff.

"Yohei-kun, help us please!" Haruko asked.

Yohei and the others helped Rukawa get up. However, Rukawa was being very pig-headed again, and he pulled away from them. Haruko frowned. Yohei got irritated.

"Look Kaede, we're just trying to help you," he said, obviously pissed off by Rukawa's attitude. "And if you can't appreciate that…" he suddenly gone mad and rushed violently against him. Noma, Takamiya and Okusu, pulled his arms and legs, restraining him.

"I'll beat you up even more!!!"

Rukawa put a blunt face. "Try me."

Yohei even got more provoked and freed himself from the three. "WHY YOU…!!! I AM GONNA GET YOUR ASS KICKED YOU SON OF A~"

Haruko stood in front of Rukawa, looking traumatized from all the mess, but yet, bravely defended the super rookie, "Please stop, please…"

Yohei had his eyes straight on Rukawa. "You're lucky Haruko-san is here."

"And we're also lucky Hanamichi isn't here either," the fat guy added, "Or else, they might have a tag team and gang up on Rukawa~~!!!"

"Don't you think that's fun to watch??" the other suggested.

Noma, Takamiya and Okusu gathered on a corner nearby, placing bets on who will last longest if ever the "Rukawa versus Yohei-Hanamichi" happens. Yohei grimaced.

"Just get him to the hospital, Haruko-san."

Haruko nodded. "Thank you, Yohei-kun."

He grinned, "Hanamichi will get mad at me if I let you get harmed."

Haruko merely smiled in gratitude. She turned to Rukawa. "Let's go now."

Rukawa felt dizzy by the minute. He just let Haruko assist him, because he can no longer see clearly. Passively and silently, he let Haruko hold his arm as they walked to the highway to get a cab. Luckily, they were able to get a ride as soon as they reached the road. She checked her pockets for anything she could place on his wounds to at least wipe his face from blood, but couldn't find any. The driver saw her panic and he kindly gave her a spare towel to place on Rukawa's wounds. He rested his head on her shoulder in exhaustion. Haruko was so worried.

"Akagi… …"

"Rukawa-kun…?"

"Don't tell… anyone… about… this…"

She bit her lip. "Okay. You have my word."

He held her hand. He wrapped his fingers around hers. "Thank… you… Haruko…"

After the longest thirty minutes, the cab finally stopped in front of the emergency section of the hospital. Haruko slightly shook Rukawa.

"We're here Rukawa-kun," and she handed the fare payment, "Sir keep the change. Thank you."

"You, take care of your boyfriend."

Haruko blushed. "He's not my boyfriend… I'm afraid."

"Well, I'm afraid it doesn't look like it," the man teased. "I can tell you really care for him. Don't worry, everything will be fine."

Haruko and Rukawa got off the cab. "Thank you again, mister."

The man drove off, and the two rushed to the doctors in sight. Luckily for them, the nurses immediately came to attend to Rukawa. He was led to a hospital bed nearby where he lied down and was examined. Haruko sat on the benches and waited outside patiently. She caressed her hand, the one that Rukawa held, and she breathed deeply. Everything will be all right, she thought.

"How is he?" a guy came to her.

Haruko looked up. "Hisashi-senpai!"

Mitsui made a crooked smile. "Don't make me feel old. Mitsui is fine."

"Okay, Micchy."

Mitsui scowled, "MIT-SU-I!"

"Okay, Mitsui," Haruko said, smiling, "Oh yeah, how did you know we're here?"

Mitsui thought for a second. "Well, I was on my way to my friends, but I saw the two of you inside the cab, and it made a turn to the hospital… I got a little worried about what might have happened."

"Oh…"

"Anyway, what did that moron do to get himself here??"

Haruko's expression changed. "It's my fault."

"What? Why?"

"He got into this gang fight, we got cornered because of me, and it was tough luck Yohei-kun and his friends passed by, thanks to them we were saved."

Mitsui sat beside her. His eyes were at the people going in and out the hospital, "Don't blame yourself, Akagi."

"Call me Haruko!" she snapped.

"Okay, Haruko," he said, "like I told you, it's not your fault."

"But I was the one who dragged Rukawa-kun in that dark alley, all I wanted was to treat him to some drinks, and then these gangsters came… if it wasn't for me…"

Mitsui took her shoulders, and looked straight into her eyes. "I said; don't think of it as your entire fault!! You had nothing to do with the fight okay?!" he let go of her and placed his hand on his forehead. "Geez… when will you be convinced…"

She started to cry.

"Akagi… I mean Haruko… stop that!!"

"Senpai… I mean Mitsui… I'm sorry, I can't help it… It was so painful… seeing Rukawa…"

He quickly wrapped his arms on her. Haruko buried her head on his chest, weeping bitterly. Mitsui placed his hand on her back and patted it gently.

"It's not the end of the world Haruko. Come on, let's go inside and hear what the nurses and doctors got to say."


	6. Chapter 6: Through The Windows

**Chapter 6: Through the Windows**

Mitsui sat on a chair beside Rukawa's bed. His eyes wandered from the ceiling, to the sleeping patient, to the doctor at the door talking to Haruko. He attempted to read the doctor's lips to know what's going on, but then he thought it was a ridiculous thing to do. He'll find out the result from Haruko anyway. He just noticed the doctor's mannerism of fixing his glasses to his pointed nose every three seconds, which he found very distracting.

"Kaede-kun is going to be observed in the next few hours for any serious head injuries, just in case, so he needs to stay here for a couple of days," the doctor explained.

"But he's going to be okay, right?" Haruko uttered.

"We'll find that out after a few hours. Let's just hope he doesn't have any cracks on his skull, or else it might take him a long time to recover."

The doctor turned and left the three, Haruko, Mitsui and Rukawa. Just as when the doctor closed the door behind him, Mitsui ranted.

"Just great Rukawa. Getting beaten up, weeks before the Inter-high. PERFECT."

Haruko intruded, "Mitsui, don't say that. No one wanted this to happen."

He faced her, "You're right, Haruko. I'm sorry."

Haruko had nothing to say. She sat beside Mitsui and buried her head on her hands. Mitsui's eyes widened.

"Oh Come on, don't tell me…"

She looked up, "Tell you what?"

He paused for a minute, "You're not crying…?!" and scratched his head, "Well, I just thought you were a bit exaggerating this whole situation."

"I just had a little headache…" she said, "I believe Rukawa-kun's gonna be fine, he's a tough cookie."

"He sure is… though it's kinda unreal for someone like him to be confined in a hospital because he was beaten up. Well, back in the day, when I tried to destroy the team, I think he was hit by a mop on his head but he didn't faint…"

"Aha!" Haruko pointed a finger to him, "This is your fault after all!! If it wasn't for that stupid mop, his head would've been fine even after he got into this fight! You damaged his head!!!"

Mitsui turned berserk. "Hey! That doesn't have anything to do with him getting injured today!! Why are you trying to blame it on me~~!!??" and in a matter-of-fact tone, "Besides, he already has a DAMAGED head long time ago… that's why he can't absorb a thing in class…" Mitsui said, containing his laughter.

She looked at him with disbelief. "Well that goes for you too…"

"What did you say?!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"

Haruko felt amused in teasing the Shohoku three-pointer, until they suddenly stopped their arguments when Rukawa turned on the other side of his bed. They paused for a long moment. He rested his back on the chair and whistled to kill time. He was thinking of what he and Haruko can talk about. Well beside his gangster life, which Haruko now loved to talk about, of course. He was out of words. On the other hand, Haruko went over the curtains and peered through the window. It was raining cats and dogs. She checked her watch.

"SHOOT!" she screamed.

Mitsui's relaxed face immediately faded. "What's the matter??!"

"It's raining!!!"

"So…?"

"And look at the time!! It's just 5 minutes before the last bus stop!! And it will take 15 minutes for me to get to the loading area!!!!"

Mitsui's relaxed face returned. "There's a cab."

"But I don't have enough money!!!!" Haruko reasoned.

He reached for his pocket, "Just pay me up tomorrow, here I'll lend you some-"

Mitsui couldn't find his extra money in his pocket. He remembered he left his other money in his unit.

"Sorry, my money's back in my house," he apologized.

Haruko's only hope was shattered, "I guess walking home is my only option now."

"I've got an idea, come with me to my house, I'll get my money and then we'll get you a cab."

"Is it really okay??" she felt ashamed.

Mitsui beamed. "No problem! You're gonna pay me up right?? With 100% interest?" his hands patting her back.

She shrugged him off. "I'm just gonna walk home, thank you!! I don't wanna be in debt!!" she cried.

He laughed. "I was just kidding!!!"

Haruko locked her eyes on him. Pits of laughter came after.

"Alright, Mitsui. I owe you one."

Just as they went for the door, Rukawa's parents came in. The two of them instantly turned silent, and bowed in respect to Mr. and Mrs. Kaede. They exchanged a few greetings, and Haruko explained to them what happened. They thanked them for bringing their son to the hospital in time. Even though Haruko wanted to stay further and talk to Rukawa's parents, she already must head home or else, it's Akagi's long sermon, or Akagi's gonna ground her for a week or two.

They waited for a bit for the rain to die down, since none of them had an umbrella. When it already stopped, they started to walk to Mitsui's place. And only after a few minutes of walking, the sky roared again and poured out tremendous rain.

Mitsui took off his jacket to cover their heads. His hand grabbed Haruko's waist to keep her close, while his other hand lifted the jacket up. Haruko felt a bit uneasy with his gesture, but she just helped him keep the jacket above their heads, or they'll be drenched in water. Neither of them dared to speak in the middle of the awkward scenario. After what seemed to be the longest fifteen minutes of their lives, they arrived on Mitsui's apartment, their shoes and socks soaking wet.

Hisashi Mitsui's unit was at the second floor, at the right–most door. The whole apartment looked like a ghost town, with the corridor lights a little dim. Mitsui searched his pocket for the key. Haruko felt like she was on a scene of those horror movies, where the hero is trying to open the door, and then when he does, a ghost will pop out. She told herself she was being childish. Mitsui noticed she was acting strangely.

"You scared?"

"No… not at all…" she denied. _Do I really looked scared??!_

"Well, it's just like this in this apartment at this time of the night, most people are already asleep that's why it sort of quiet," he finally opened the door and turned on the light switch, "and just so you know, I'm not a pervert… I won't do you any harm," he remarked.

She stared at him incredulously. "You think I'm judging you as a pervert?! I'm not like that. And besides, if you really are gonna sexually harass me, I'll just remind you of my brother," she coolly retorted.

"Hahaha. That's a nice strategy."

They took off their shoes and went inside. He placed his wet jacket on the table in the kitchen.

"Make yourself comfortable," he told her.

Haruko sat on the sofa in front of the television. She grabbed the kotatsu and placed it on the legs to warm herself.

She asked, "Where are your parents?"

He thought for a second. "They don't live here."

"Oh. Had a fight with them?"

"Nah, I just told them, I wanted to be independent once I reached high school. At first they objected my decision. But sooner they agreed with me. I still visit them often…"

"Ahh… is living by yourself hard?"

Mitsui went back from the kitchen with two cups of coffee in his hands. "At first, yeah. I had to adjust to a new lifestyle, sometimes I run out of money, but then I got used to it after some time. Here," he sat beside her and handed her a cup.

"Thanks," as she took it and drank some hot coffee, "I envy you."

"Why?"

"You see… it's because in my family, since I'm the youngest child, I've always been treated like a baby… somehow I also like to experience how it is to have responsibilities… The only responsibility I get is when I do house chores."

"You'll have your chance. But I must tell you, it's not easy."

"I know," she muttered, "But I'll make it through."

Mitsui placed his coffee on the table before them, "I really like your optimistic attitude, Haruko. I wish I had the same perception as you have."

She finished her cup. "Huh? Aren't you like me as well?"

"Well yeah, I may have a never-say-die attitude but I also have my limits. When things go completely wrong, I totally screw up."

"You don't have to feel bad about that. Everyone screws up. No need to stress over that kind of stuff," she said, as she patted the kotatsu.

Mitsui sighed, "I guess so…"

Mitsui looked into her eyes. Words aren't necessary to express his happiness.

He held her face close to his. Haruko didn't know how to respond. Then he rested her head on her shoulders and whispered in her ear.

"Haruko, I don't really know if I'm just being kind to you or I'm feeling something more than this, but whatever it is, I'm very glad to have this feeling in my heart," he held her even more closely, and he gave her a peck on the forehead.

"Mitsui," she meekly said, "maybe you really are confusing your emotion for something else," she just let him hold her with his warm hands.

"The truth is, I hate being confused, but for the first time, because of you, I didn't mind feeling this way." Mitsui had her head rest on his chest.

The rain kept pouring outside, with raindrops resting on the window panes. Mitsui kept her on his side. They were both exhausted, it's been a very long, worrisome day. They thought, probably the whole Shohoku team know what happened to Rukawa by now. Haruko's vision began to blur, as she cuddled on his chest. She wanted to pull away, but she felt weak to do so, and for some strange reason, she liked being this way with him.

*******************

_Whew. After 10 long years. Hehehe. Sorry for this super late update....also sorry for those ruharu fans, hehe... Rukawa didn't have any dialogue... next chapter for sure, he'll be back... ^_^ _

_I'm really having a hard time choosing the ending... hahaha... _

_*talks to Haruko.. lol* So Haruko, Rukawa or Mitsui..? :o _


	7. Chapter 7: Misunderstandings

**Chapter 7: Misunderstandings**

Haruko placed her bag on the side of her desk and sat comfortably, as it was another ordinary day for most students. But it wasn't for her. Her eyes peered to and fro the door, waiting for her friends, Fuji and Matsui. She was already used to be the one who always arrive the earliest at school among them, however today was different. Not wanting to be consumed with impatience, she took out her book to review their lessons. Minutes later, the classroom started to get noisy as her classmates arrive, chit-chatting while waiting for their first class. Just as she was starting to get absorbed in her book, someone shook her shoulders.

"Haruko!"

She jolted, and looking up behind her, "Ah! Good morning Matsui!" trying to sound normal. She really doesn't want anyone questioning her about yesterday.

With a troubled face, Matsui whispered, "I'm a bit worried for you. Those guys at the door have been looking at you for a while now."

Haruko froze, "Those guys have been what?" tilting her head to take a peek at the door, she saw three freshmen from other sections observing her from a distance. She must've been trying so hard to focus on reading that she never felt anybody keeping an eye on her.

"Here we go again," she sighed.

"What's up with you two?" Fuji said, dropping her bag off her desk and going over them.

Before Haruko could even explain, the students went to their seats as their teacher entered the room.

"I'll tell you later after class," she told them. "at the coffee shop near the train station."

* * *

"Now spill," said Fuji, sipping on her strawberry shake.

Matsui remarked, "How long will those guys follow you around? They've been watching you whenever we had free time, when you go to the canteen, and even as you go to the restroom!"

"Relax," replied Haruko in a reassuring tone, "if there's someone who has to be freaked out, it should be me. Don't worry, I've been through this before."

"Now I'm all the more worried!" Matsui cried.

"Onii-chan's the one behind this," Haruko said.

"Captain Akagi?" Haruko's friends chorused.

"Yeah. He always 'hires' some guys to stalk me whenever he thinks I'm goofing around."

"What made him think you're doing that?"

"Well…" Haruko fumbled, "It's because… he saw me… with someone…"

Fuji almost spewed her drink and exclaimed, "You have a boyfriend and you're not even telling us?"

"It's not like that!" Haruko answered, shaking her head in disagreement, "It's just that I stayed at his house for a night."

Fuji and Matsui's eyes widened in shock.

"I can't believe you're that kind of girl, Haruko," Matsui monotonously commented.

Haruko raised a brow. "What do you mean _that kind of girl_? Come on! You know me better than this! I think you two are overreacting too much."

"It's not like we can help it."

Fuji, in a suspense tone said, "But the question is, whose house is it?" she grinned as she waits for Haruko's answer.

Matsui giggled, "Could it be… Rukawa-kun?" she teased.

"No!" Haruko denied, though at some point she wished she was saying 'yes' to the question.

"Then whose house is it?"

Haruko pursed her lips, "I don't really want to tell anybody about this…"

Fuji leaned away from them and cried, "Don't you trust us? We've always kept each other's secrets!"

"Come on, Haruko, we want to know!" Matsui begged.

Haruko paused for a moment, and deliberated in her head. Will she tell it to them? It's not just a simple secret like 'I have a crush on some cute guy from another class' kind of secret. This was different. Will she tell them how she and Mitsui got drenched and how they cuddled and slept together? It was too private for her to tell. But they're her friends; they should be able to sympathize with how she feels about the situation.

Her friends looked intently at her, waiting for an answer. Clearing out the tense atmosphere, she finally gave in, "It's Hisashi Mitsui-senpai," she confessed and closed her eyes, as she does not want to witness their astonished faces.

There came a moment of silence, a moment for Fuji and Matsui to take in what they just heard. Haruko couldn't take this awkward ambiance anymore.

"Snap out of it," she told them, "It's not like something _else_ happened between us!"

"That's not what I'm concerned about," Matsui answered, and turning comical, she held Haruko by the arm and started checking her, "Were you hurt? Did he harass you?"

"You stayed with the one who almost destroyed the Shohoku Basketball team?" Fuji rhetorically asked.

Haruko, annoyed by all these reactions she's getting, "Can you please stop the prejudice? And let's not bring up the past, shall we? He's really a kind person," she said in defense to Shohoku's three-pointer, "People just get mistaken about who he really is, but he genuinely cares for those important to him."

"We're sorry…"

"So what exactly happened?" her two friends inched a little bit closer as they listen to her story.

* * *

Haruko wasn't the only one who had an interesting day. Even the basketball team experienced more intense training due to the fact that Captain Akagi was more uptight than usual. After the members went home, Sakuragi and Mitsui were left alone to clean the gym and locker room.

Sakuragi yawned as he mopped the gym floor, "Gori gave us a hard time today!" pausing to contemplate what might have got into their Captain today.

Mitsui kept a blank expression, "It's not really odd for him to be so strict since inter-high school championship games are approaching," he nonchalantly said. He tried to avoid making any eye contact with the red head. He turned towards his locker, so that Sakuragi wouldn't see his face as they talked. Sakuragi was particularly nosy today, he thought. The self-proclaimed "ace player" of the Shohoku basketball team had so many questions to throw at him, and he did his best to give him vague one-liner answers to close the topic.

_Does Sakuragi know about me and Akagi? Wait, why am I thinking as if there really IS SOMETHING? This is ridiculous. _

Just when he was about to close his locker and bid his farewell (primarily to escape Sakuragi's curiousity), Sakuragi grabbed it with his hand, and blocked Mitsui's way with his hand. Mitsui finally lost his cool.

He looked intently at Sakuragi's face, "WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

Surprisingly, the ever war-freak Sakuragi kept a calm tone, "I know something is going on with you two…" he smeered.

"What are you talking about?" Mitsui answered, putting up a cool façade. He shoved Sakuragi's grip from his locker to move his way out of the locker room. However, Sakuragi just cornered him even further away from the door.

"Micchy, just tell me what happened between you and Go—"

"Akagi and I are not GOING OUT!" Mitsui blurted out in frustration to make Sakuragi shut up.

Sakuragi instantly became confused and glared at Mitsui. Mitsui couldn't talk himself out of what he just said to the red-head. Sakuragi released his hold to Mitsui's locker and backed off a little bit, comprehending the words that came out of Mitsui's mouth. On the other hand, the Shohoku three-pointer couldn't move an inch, wanting to leave now, but still he was hoping to find a resolution in this awkward situation.

"Micchy, I can't believe it," said Sakuragi who seemed to have been enlightened, "Gori likes you…"

Mitsui's eyes could almost come out of their sockets, "WHAT MADE YOU THINK LIKE THAT? There's no way… DO I LOOK GAY?"

"…but since you don't like him, you rejected him and now he wants you to feel the pain of being rejected…" Sakuragi went on, completely ignoring Mitsui's statements of denial, "So that's why…" he trailed off, his hand on his chin, as he finally reached a conclusion to the questions that's been bothering him all afternoon.

"THERE'S NOTHING BETWEEN ME AND GORI!"

Sakuragi nodded in agreement, "I know Micchy, everything's clear to me now," he peacefully answered.

"You got it all wrong!" Mitsui protested.

"You mean you like him too after all? Then why…"

Mitsui almost felt nauseous, "Are you out of your mind? Do you want me to throw up right here?"

"Then what?" the irritated Sakuragi asked, disappointed that his conclusions are not true after such 'careful' deliberation (in his head).

Mitsui cleared his throat, and said in a serious manner, "First of all, Gori and I had no romantic feelings for each other *_Makes me wanna jump off a cliff in disgust*_ AND if ever Gori really is gay all this time *_Why the hell am I even saying this*_ if someone becomes his target, there's no escaping! Can you imagine what would happen if someone actually rejects him?" Mitsui said, leaving room for Sakuragi to share his insights.

"Yeah you're right, that would be so much worse than losing the championships, I mean, Gori is so hardcore on the outside but underneath all that he's a cream puff!"

Crazy images flashed through their minds. The two eventually howled in laughter.

"I can't believe that we're actually talking about Gori's sexuality," Sakuragi uttered, his laughter still making its way out.

Mitsui, who had his fair share of laughs retorted, "Well, it all started with your stupid speculations!"

Shortly after, the atmosphere has finally become more relaxed and they have finished cleaning up the locker room and gym. As the two left Shohoku and were walking towards the train station, Sakuragi asked a question, "Speaking of romantic feelings, do you have any girl you like right now?"

Mitsui briefly glanced at Sakuragi and then looked straight ahead, as he carefully chose the words to tell.

"Well, let's just say there's someone who has always been on my mind lately."

* * *

Woohoo! After soooooo long, another update finally. Thank you for those who have patiently waited for my update. It took me ages to write this 'cause of school work and such, which are always getting in the way of writing fanfics! Well then, here it is, and I have another fic that I've been writing so the next chapter might take quite a while before I post it here, but it sure won't take me years now. XD Again, thank you for taking the time in reading!

For those who have been waiting for Rukawa, don't worry, you'll see more of him in the next chapter. ^_^


	8. Chapter 8: Gratitude

** Chapter 8: Gratitude**

He spread out his hands wide on his bed, frustrated. He's been like this for almost an hour already, and still sleep does not seem to come by his side. He tossed and turned a few more times until he finally sat up, scratching his head in annoyance.

"Damn it, why can't I get to sleep?!" Mitsui muttered to himself. He knew what the reason is, but inside his mind he keeps denying it. Looking at the clock perched on his desk, and determined to win against this strike of insomnia, he took out his basketball from his drawer. Maybe a few hoops outside will do the trick. Or maybe not. He immediately threw it back in. Then an idea came. He quickly rummaged through his bag as his face beamed in relief. He took out his mathematics book triumphantly.

"Better than any sleeping pill," he snickered. He sat on his desk and started solving a couple of problems and surprisingly weird, he found himself engrossed in the lesson.

"What in the world's the matter with me..?! And I thought this would be the ultimate knockout," he said remorsefully. It was way past midnight, and finally he admitted defeat.

"Might as well continue the pace," he said as he reached out for his bag and placed a couple more notebooks before him. As he stared at them, "I can't believe I'm doing this," and shook his head, as he began to flip the pages and started to scribble some review notes.

* * *

"This is taking longer than usual," Haruko said, as her so-called 'stalkers' who are relentlessly following her trail have started getting on her nerves. She continued walking along the corridor of the freshmen building with her friends, Matsui and Fuji. Her annoyance made her pace even faster, leaving the other two with no choice but to take bigger steps to catch up.

"Wait, Haruko-chan!" Matsui complained, "You're way too fast!"

Ignoring her, "I know a pretty sweet escape route up ahead…" Haruko fumbled. Before she could take a right turn to the girls' restroom, Fuji took a hold of her arm. Haruko glared at her, "What's the matter?"

"This is not doing you any good, why don't you just tell them off?" Fuji suggested.

"It's not actually a bad idea," Matsui remarked, while catching her breath.

Haruko contemplated for a moment, "And how am I supposed to do that?!"

"Just go straight up to them and plead them to get off your back…" Matsui replied.

"You make it sound so simple!" she cried, "But I might just make things worse, I mean look at them, they're like lions waiting for the kill," she said as she glanced over the freshmen guys who are obviously observing her from afar.

Matsui sighed, "Seriously, don't these guys have more important things to do?"

"Tell me about it," Fuji retorted.

"Oh I know!" Matsui said gleefully, "Why not ask Sakuragi-kun to take care of them?"

The two other girls looked at her, half-surprised, half-humored, "Now that is the worst idea I've heard in a while and I'll pretend you didn't say that," Fuji uttered, who barely managed to conceal her laughter at Matsui's idea which lies between the border of sick joke and plain stupidity.

"Sorry I couldn't think of anything else!"

"Maybe you should just talk to your brother instead," Fuji concluded, "After all, he's the one who hired them."

Finally, something that makes sense. Haruko replied, "I think that would be a better action to take."

Just a few weeks ago she was just the average freshman, hanging on to dear life so as not to fail any subjects. How did it get so complicated just because of Mitsui? Not that there was anything more between them. Or is there? Although she got to admit, she felt very safe with him, but awkward at the same time. She knows she can never look at him the same way as before, but even so, her brother must be overreacting, she thought.

As soon as their classes were over, the three girls headed to the school basketball gym to have a word with Captain Akagi. She doesn't care if she had to walk up to him while he plays. He had gone way too far with this stalker drama. As they approached the entrance, the three of them found themselves having to squeeze their way inside the gym. Lots of students, particularly girls were also there cheering for the team as they practice, or so they thought. After some time of pleading and squeezing their way through the crowd, Haruko finally got a glimpse of what's happening inside as she was greeted by Rukawa's glorious dunk. The girls roared in excitement and shrieks of adoration for the super rookie.

"Why am I not surprised to find so many girls here today," Fuji commented.

"Rukawa-kun's back!" Matsui exclaimed.

In an instant, mixed feelings swept over Haruko. While she is more than joyful that Rukawa now gets to play basketball after that incident with her, on the other hand, she's worried that Rukawa might now be pushing himself too hard to make up for the days he haven't been able to practice like he used to, all thanks to her. A sense of guilt overtook her. As her eyes wandered, following Rukawa across the court, she finds the captain standing alongside Ayako, observing the game.

"Ah! Brother!" Haruko said, "Better check Rukawa's condition from him," she took off to approach her brother standing on the opposite side of the court.

"Aaaaaaandddd she completely forgets what she came here for," Fuji nonchalantly remarked.

* * *

He missed this feeling. The adrenaline rush, the sound of a dribbling basketball, running across the court, the triumph when he shoots the ball into the ring… even though he had been practicing for a bit despite his doctor's objections, nothing beats playing with the whole team. Rukawa relentlessly went for the ring as his practice opponents which comprised of Mitsui, Miyagi and other freshmen put up a tight defense to stop him from scoring a point. With his unwavering focus, he easily passed through his fellow freshmen players who were then followed by Miyagi who managed to overtake him and stopped by under the ring, waiting for his attack. The Shohoku three-pointer finally caught up with him immediately followed by Sakuragi. The two double-teamed to keep Rukawa from shooting.

"You're supposed to be on his side!" Mitsui bellowed at the red-head.

Sakuragi protested, "But I don't want to be his team mate!"

"What do you think you're doing Sakuragi Hanamichi?!" Ayaka screeched from the bench.

The crowd jeered at Sakuragi, "You bastard, get out of Rukawa-kun's way!"

"Sakuragi must be jealous because Rukawa-kun gets all the attention!"

Mitsui glanced briefly at him, "I'd go back to playing properly if I were you."

"Fine, fine," he arrogantly said, "Rukawa, just give me the damn ba-"

Rukawa made a fake sidestep to his left and from there gained momentum as he dribbled his way past Sakuragi who was blocking his right side. Rushing to the basket, Miyagi ran towards him, hands raised, eyeing him carefully. Without hesitation, he made a jump shot, then raced towards the basket, as if ignoring Miyagi's presence. As the ball bounced from the ring, Rukawa took hold of the rebound and gracefully dunked the ball into the hoop. The team and the crowd watching all cheered for Rukawa as this marks his comeback from being injured weeks ago.

"Rukawa finally recovered," Kogure said in relief. Captain Akagi merely observed the players with satisfaction. They definitely have a chance at the inter-high tournament. His confidence for Shohoku just went a notch higher.

Ayaka blew her whistle, "Okay team, time for a little break!" she said as handed the approaching players their towels.

Mitsui went over to Rukawa, "Don't be too reckless, I'm pretty sure you ignored your doctor's advices… if you're not careful…"

"I'm not like you," Rukawa coldly replied, his face buried in his towel, "I know what I'm doing." Mitsui who got irritated at reciprocation of his concern just settled himself on one of the benches, "That arrogant brat…" he muttered. Why even bother, he concluded, he won't listen anyway. Mitsui's trail of thought got cut off when he saw the captain's sister from afar, walking towards them with a worried look across her face. He wanted to get up and talk to her but as soon as he noticed her going in Akagi's direction, he decided to stay put.

This is unusual, Akagi thought. He's used to see her just watching the basketball practice from a distance, maybe talking to Ayaka… and of course, Sakuragi. But today begs to differ. He faced her with an intrigued expression, although he probably has an idea of his sister's agenda of coming here.

"Look if this is about the…" Akagi faintly said, almost in a guilty tone.

"Is Rukawa-kun really okay now?" Haruko asked.

_I guess it was just my imagination._ Maybe he doesn't have to deal with the 'stalkers' he hired for Haruko here. Akagi's face brightened, "Yes, although it is still not good for him to play full blast…"

"But just now…" Haruko trailed off in objection. She looked at the exhausted Rukawa, seated on the benches, being scolded by Sakuragi for stealing 'the glory' from him.

"I'll just go talk to him," she said.

Passing through the other team members, she can feel her heart starting to beat faster. But it's now or never. She's pretty sure that she won't get to thank him personally since he'll always be busy practicing now that he's got a lot to make up for those days when he just laid in bed almost all day. Sakuragi, Mitsui and the other team members were quite puzzled to see her walking towards the benches, and then stopped in front of Rukawa. Even Fuji and Matsui exchanged looks when they saw their friend went up to the ace player.

"Haruko-chan!" Sakuragi exclaimed, "Came here to cheer me on?"

Haruko, completely oblivious of Sakuragi's presence, turned to Rukawa. Rukawa himself was also quite confused as to what business does she have to do with him. He waited for her to speak up, but no words came. Mitsui anxiously waited for her to say anything and also carefully calculated Rukawa's possible reaction to this situation.

_Just thank him_, Haruko argued with her head. She couldn't get the words out, why of all times does she have to be completely stiff like this? She took a deep breath; put her arms in front of her as she braced herself to bow in gratitude, as she fumbled for the words. Rukawa, thinking this might just be a waste of time, tossed his towel at his side, and readied his wrist band. She got even more pressured. _Say it now! _Haruko screamed in her head, just as she bowed, she finally said it, but surprisingly, her lips reflected what her heart really wanted to say, as if it had a mind of its own.

She bowed lowly and with an almost trembling voice, "Would you care to go out with me?"

* * *

Annnnnnddd I updated at last! I wonder what will happen next... ;)


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